1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to card apparatuses, such as PC cards and CF cards, and a method of producing the same. Compact Flash (CF) is a trademark owned by the CompactFlash Association.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 10A illustrates a schematic plan view of an example of card apparatuses; FIG. 10B illustrates a schematic side view of the card apparatus illustrated in FIG. 10A; and FIG. 10C illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 10A. A card apparatus 1 includes a circuit substrate 2 and a card case 3 accommodating the circuit substrate 2. On the circuit substrate 2, components (not shown) for configuring a circuit are mounted and a circuit pattern (not shown) is formed. The components and the circuit pattern constitute a circuit.
The card case 3 includes a case main body 5 that accommodates substantially the entire area of the circuit substrate 2 except for an end area of the circuit substrate 2 and an extended portion 6 disposed integrally with the case main body 5 to accommodate the end area of the circuit substrate 2. The case main body 5 includes a metal cover 7 disposed opposite to the front surface of the circuit substrate 2 and a metal cover 8 disposed opposite to the back surface of the circuit substrate 2, and frames 9 (9A and 9B) constructed of resin material and disposed on areas outside both side surfaces of the circuit substrate 2 as single units with the metal covers 7 and 8.
The extended portion 6 is constructed of resin material. The extended portion 6 extends from a front surface side of the end area of the circuit substrate 2 over the outer area of the end surface of the circuit substrate 2 to the back surface side of the end area of the circuit substrate 2.
There are card apparatuses 1 that have a wireless communication function. A card apparatus 1 having a wireless communication function includes an antenna. The antenna provided for the card apparatus 1 may be, for example, a rod-shaped antenna protruding outward from the card case 3 or a surface-mounted antenna disposed on the substrate surface of the circuit substrate 2. Since the card apparatus 1 having a wireless communication function must include an antenna such as that described above, there are problems in that the number of components included in the card apparatus is increased compared with that included in a card apparatus not having an antenna, and such a card apparatus 1 tends to be large and the assembling process of the card apparatus 1 becomes complicated.
The circuit on the circuit substrate 2 housed inside the card case 3 of the card apparatus 1 generates heat when a current is applied. The generated heat causes the temperature inside the card case 3 to increase and, also, causes the temperature of the metal covers 7 and 8 to increase. If the user of the card apparatus 1 touches the heated metal covers 7 and 8, for example, the heat may cause the user to experience an unpleasant sensation.